So, as much as I’d like to think that this will have some sort of format or outline to keep me on topic, it won’t. I spent too long making the above image to give a damn. So, expect an even more long-winded than normal and sappy review of my team.
DuckonQuack, aka He who eats bans and hands out charity rapiers. SMURF!
I met Duck in RD2L after Brie drafted him to our team. I didn’t know whether we’d get along or talk much at all. We spoke a bit about LD2L and I’d like to think my rabid endorsement of the league was a key factor in him signing up. He did extremely well in inhouses and showed me that he was more than a disgustingly good Earthshaker. He was (and is) and all around snowballing powerhouse. I hoped that no one else would connect the dots and I managed to draft him in the first round. This is a decision I haven’t regretted for a minute. He is undoubtedly one of the strongest laners in the league. He eats up more bans than anyone else and even when his lane is going south, he doesn’t tilt. His madman ‘I’m going in and I don’t need u basic bitch supports’ playstyle has led to a few zany situations… but I know we won’t have a rapier to throwaway to Scrub if he didn’t do so well in the first place. For the captains of next season, I hope you learned what a strong player Duck is. I’m sure he’ll only get better.
Jotham, aka he who advocates split pushing the most in LD2L (even when our T3s are getting hit)
Jokes aside, I had planned to draft Jotham from the onset of the season. I knew that there were very few strong offlaners and I couldn’t get Chen because he betrayed me and decided to captain. I knew that Jotham was a reliable offlaner with a great hero pool and the ability to play other roles as needed. While we have had some personality conflicts and disagreements about drafting, I’m still confident that I made a great choice. Jotham rarely loses lane and has a good sense for when he can pressure the enemy safe lane. I do wish he’d prioritize farming less on heroes that we draft for the express purpose of going in, but that’s a minor gripe at best. I think he’s a strong pick and his ability to eat key bans in the first phase of draft is a huge benefits.
Pool, aka he who denies meta item purchases
Pool was another ‘secret’ RD2L player that I had hoped I could grab in the third round. He is extremely versatile and doesn’t mind if we throw him mid, offlane, or safelane. While his favorite heroes haven’t fared will during the 7.19 scourge, he’s been willing to play most any hero we throw at him. When I lane with him, it’s usually a toss up. We might win, we might lose. I might throw and apologize and then TP back to lane. That’s DotA, right? Pool doesn’t complain about any of that and simply farms, denies, and focuses on the big picture. As someone who has laned with my fair share of entitled and ragey safe laners, I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to lane with Pool. I wish we had more time to scrim and try out different laning strategies, as I think we’d be unstoppable if we did. Pool is a great pick and he’ll only get stronger as the meta shifts to include more than four viable farming cores.
Ugh, he who goes with the flow and excels in the madness
I was really worried when I saw the list of players left by the time I got to my final picks in the draft. The number of support players in the league is already pretty limited and I knew I’d end up drafting a core player that would have to play 4 or 5. I sifted through Ugh’s Dotabuff and (disgustingly good) inhouse record and knew that I found a gem in the rough. For someone who isn’t a support player, I think Ugh has done a great job this season. Like Pool, he accepts the heroes we throw at him and executes as well as he can given the hellscape that is laning in 7.19. He doesn’t talk much on comms but he always shows up and even butchers his sleep schedule to ensure we don’t have to find a stand-in. I really wish I could have put him on Elder Titan more, because I think he excels on that hero in particular. Contrary to his name, Ugh is a great pick. I feel like he wasn’t given the best chance to shine this season and I really hope the next team he joins will allow him to play core and dazzle us with his full power.
Minu, aka he who has a better win rate on CM than I’ll ever have
I don’t have much to say here. Minu wasn’t in many of our games and some irl issues prevented him from being as active as he was in prior seasons. I don’t regret drafting him at all and I’m sad we didn’t get to play together more. We miss you, Minu!
Danny, aka he who advocates for the sad and forgotten heros (that should stay sad and forgotten).
Danny has been a wonderful addition to the team. He’s extremely versatile and always keeps an eye on the objectives. He’s vocal in comms and makes sure that we don’t simply fall into the jungle to farm. If he would have made it into the draft pool, I would have likely missed out on picking him and another team would be excelling thanks to his aggressive play style and bizarre item choices. He is a great addition to any team that needs a player that can fill most any role.
Cerys, aka the least versatile & most salty player on the team
I wasn’t the captain I wanted to be this season. I had dreams of scrims and google docs filled with strategies and ban lists. I didn’t expect I’d get so frustrated that I’d gg out without consulting my team. Even though I’ve said it before — I want to apologize to my team for the ways I’ve let them down. I know that I only play 5, but I’ve done my best to contribute where I can. LD2L really tests your strengths as a DotA player. It’s not about simply outlaning the enemy — you have to be a scheduler, a motivator, and a competent drafter. I’m not ashamed to say that my team has carried me. I’m happy to be a part of this adventure and so very proud of how far we’ve come.
Treebeard, aka Flame Lord 1000, he who is eternally disappointed
Trying to impress Treebeard is one of the most futile activities I’ve ever engaged in. For reference, I’ve tried to build a fort out of tomato stakes that I hauled a half mile through a pasture. When I asked Tree to coach, I knew that I was playing with fire. Not everyone can handle his… distinct… style of coaching. He doesn’t pull punches or attempt to make you feel better when you fuck up. Instead, he points out where you messed up and offers advice, strategy, and anecdotes to improve. If he think you picked something completely out of line for LD2L or your skill level, he doesn’t shy away from informing you of that. He consistently streamed our games and scrims and provided feedback that we could review later. In addition, I climbed from Archon 5 to Legend 2 this season pretty much exclusively due to his support videos. He understands the limitations of low mmr players and points out what he does to win lane. This was invaluable to me and I really hope that my experience with having him as a coach will encourage other captains to find a coach next season.
Gachimuchi Superhero Kanye West (GSKW), he who also endured Tree’s flame
Gachi offered to coach my team before I went out begging people to do so. Like Treebeard, he has watched most of our games and provides very detailed feedback in Discord after our games. You can @ him in the server and he’ll come back an hour or so later with a well written reply to your concerns. While his advice might not always be the absolute best, I think his understanding of the game is a great boon to low MMR players and any LD2L team that needs an honest critique of their flaws. Thank you for all the help, Gachi. You’ve been great. :)
Overall
As much as I flame and joke about my the flaws and quirks of my team, I wouldn’t trade them (or my coaches) for anyone else. The team atmosphere, positivity, and discord voice chat has been everything I wanted in a team. No matter how we do in the playoffs, I am proud and humbled to have undertaken this journey with you wonderful people. ❤